Chapter 75 Conquer
Speaking of these bandits in Crescent Moon Mountain, most of them are old thieves who have seen blood.

Although their combat power is not strong, most of them have seen blood and are cruel enough. If they can be carefully trained with military methods, they may become a capable and combat-ready force.

At this time, Wang An had already made up his mind to quell the banditry in Jizhou, and the autumn harvest would be here soon, so a sufficiently strong army was an issue that Wang An could not avoid.

Thinking of this, Wang An turned his head to look at Xu Huang and asked, "How is the conscription going?"

After Xu Huang returned to the city yesterday, he had already learned the detailed progress from the brothers who stayed in Baicheng to recruit soldiers. Therefore, he was not afraid of Wang An's question and immediately stepped out and replied:
"Your Highness, several brothers have gone to the surrounding towns to recruit soldiers in groups. Although the peasants in the countryside are very interested, they are used to being wild. Not only do they not believe what the brothers say, but many of them even drive the brothers away and prevent them from recruiting soldiers in the towns."

"So far, only more than a hundred people have followed the brothers to White City with a try-it-out mentality."

Xu Huang showed a trace of guilt when he said this, and said fiercely: "These peasants don't know what's good for them. Your Majesty, please rest assured and give me some more time. I will personally lead people to the local areas to recruit soldiers. I will see who dares to stop us and drive us away!"

Wang An was pondering the key to this. When he heard Xu Huang's fierce words, he immediately raised his hand and said, "You must not do this. The people have no trust in the government. If you use tough measures, not only will you fail to achieve your goal, but you may even provoke a civil uprising."

Xu Huang immediately clasped his fists and said yes, but he also showed a look of embarrassment on his face, "But if we don't use force, at the current efficiency, I don't know how long it will take to recruit enough soldiers."

After a pause, Xu Huang said tentatively: "In the past, the conscription of soldiers in Jizhou was forced, not to mention the military pay, those who dared not to obey would be demolished and their cattle taken away."

"And the prince gave them wages, but these peasants still don't know what's good for them. If I, Old Xu, do as I say, I will just beat them with sticks. After they get the first month's wages, they will naturally know whether it's true or not. Then, even if I drive them away, they probably won't leave."

Xu Huang's simple words immediately made Wang An and Chen Huaian burst into laughter.

Seeing this, Xu Huang scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "I am a rough man and have never been to school. I can't think of any good ideas to make you laugh."

Unexpectedly, Wang An agreed and said, "No, Old Xu, you really came up with a good idea this time!"

"The reason why the common people are unwilling to serve in the army is because the conscription of soldiers by Jizhou Wei in the past was too violent, and the common people often cannot get enough food after serving in the army, which is why the old, weak, sick and disabled are forced to serve in the army."

"But once they receive their military pay in real money, as you said, they will understand that the government has not lied to them, and they will naturally join the army."

When Xu Huang saw that even Wang An agreed with what he said, he immediately laughed foolishly with joy.

However, Wang An changed the subject and said, "But it is not appropriate to forcibly conscript soldiers. I am afraid that they will cause trouble in the army before they receive their first month's salary, and even trigger a civil uprising ahead of time."

Xu Huang was stunned. Wang An agreed and disagreed at one moment and made him confused. He didn't know what Wang An wanted.

However, Wang An was already lost in thought, so he could only wait quietly. After a moment, Wang An spoke again: "Since the reason why these people are unwilling to join the army is because they don't trust the government, and don't believe that the government will really pay them as they say, then we should show them and let the facts speak for themselves!"

"Haven't the brothers already recruited about a hundred people?"

Xu Huang immediately said: "That's true. Most of these people are alone and have no relatives in this world. Moreover, they are hungry all day long, so they come to join the army with the mentality of giving it a try."

"Good!" Wang An slammed the table and said, "All these one hundred people will be recruited into the army without selection. Each of them will be given three taels of silver to settle down. In addition, they will be immediately given military uniforms and five days of vacation. They must return to their hometowns to deal with the aftermath before coming back!"

Wang An had already ordered three taels of silver for the An family, so Xu Huang had no doubts. He immediately clasped his fists, accepted the order, and turned to leave.

At this time, only Wang An and Chen Huaian were left in the lobby. Chen Huaian was looking at Wang An with strange eyes.

Wang An smiled slightly and said, "Huai An is a talented general, he should know the reason why I did this."

Chen Huaian smiled and nodded, "Although your plan is simple and straightforward, it is the most direct and effective for rural villagers."

Wang An chuckled and said, "How can I do it effectively? Tell me about it."

Chen Huaian knew that Wang An was testing him, but he was not displeased at all. Instead, his face became serious and he said, "Just as the prince said, the reason why these rural villagers are unwilling to join the army is because they don't trust the government. They are afraid that the government's promises are just lies and deceptions. Therefore, even if they are tempted, they are unwilling to join the army."

"But if these more than 100 people really received the three taels of silver for resettlement, it can fully prove that what the prince said was not a lie! And the prince also specially gave each of them a five-day vacation, nominally so that they could return home to deal with the aftermath and join the army with peace of mind."

"But in reality, they want them to become the backbone of the Qianjin City, so that the people everywhere can see that they have received the silver for settling down. In this way, more people will come to join the army with the mentality of giving it a try."

"As more and more people get the silver, the government's credibility will naturally soar. By then, even if we don't go to the countryside to recruit soldiers, the people will come after hearing the news."

“Hahaha,” Wang An chuckled a few times and praised, “As expected of General Cao’s favorite general. He is the best choice in terms of strategy and bravery!”

After saying this, Wang An suddenly said with a serious expression, "In fact, I know that Commander Cao sent you to serve as my personal guard. This is a great honor for you, but it also delays your future."

Wang An stood up, walked to Chen Huaian, and said with a smile: "In fact, this king has known for a long time that on the surface you are the commander of my personal guards, but in fact your mission from beginning to end is only one, that is to protect Cao Yunmeng, right?"

Chen Huaian put away his relaxed expression and said seriously: "Since the prince knows, why bother to tell it out? Isn't it better for everyone to know it and live in peace?"

(End of this chapter)